CALIFORNIA ELECTIONS: THE AD CAMPAIGN

The race: Governor. Whose ad: Republican Pete Wilson.

A day after formally winning his party’s nomination for governor, Sen. Pete Wilson unveiled a campaign commercial that somewhat wittily uses Democrat Dianne Feinstein’s past praise of Wilson against her. The 30-second ad appears to be aimed at both reminding voters that Wilson is in the race--after being virtually ignored as he coasted without substantial opposition as Feinstein battled John K. Van de Kamp--and remind Californians of his accomplishments during his eight years as a senator. It also strikes directly at projects that Feinstein proudly lists among her accomplishments.

Elements of the ad, with analysis by Times Political Writer Cathleen Decker.

Ad: “Who was the former mayor who helped save San Francisco’s cable cars . . . and saw to it that the federal government transferred a hospital to the city for an AIDS center? And who was the former mayor who got funding for senior citizen housing in San Francisco?

“Who is this person? Pete Wilson, the former mayor of San Diego. His work in the U.S. Senate led another former mayor, Dianne Feinstein, to honor him for outstanding public service and write saying, ‘You’re wonderful.’ ”

Analysis: Feinstein and Wilson did work together during their tenure as mayor and senator, respectively, to secure funding for the above-mentioned projects. The relationship led to Feinstein’s presentation of an “award of merit” for “outstanding public service” to Wilson, a picture of which is included in the ad.

She also sent him a typed letter, at the bottom of which she scrawled, “You’re wonderful.” Feinstein spokeswoman Dee Dee Myers said the letter was specifically directed to Wilson for his support of the home-porting of the battleship Missouri in San Francisco and did not refer to the other projects.

Feinstein, asked Wednesday about the ad, joked: “I guess men like to be called wonderful.”

“I worked both sides of the aisle in our Congress for San Francisco,” she added.